


I like you a latte

by tinyarmedtrex



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Andy owns the place, First Kiss, Joe as the customer, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Nicky as a barista, and still loves her baklava, coffee shop AU, with some Nicky pining thrown in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26405800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyarmedtrex/pseuds/tinyarmedtrex
Summary: Nicky sighed, leaning over the counter and looking at the empty cafe. The morning rush was over and the lunch rush wouldn’t start for another few hours. It was the dead part of the day. The part of the day that left him feeling restless and questioning, wondering why he was still here, working in this coffee shop and not doing something more with his life. He liked the job well enough, the hustle and bustle of it, but he couldn’t exactly call the work fufilling. Still, something kept him there, anchored him to the job.“Nicky! Good morning!”His head snapped up as he saw Joe, smiling brightly through his thick beard as he made his way to the counter.Oh. Right. There was Nicky’s reason why.A sweet little coffee shop AU!
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 31
Kudos: 288





	I like you a latte

Nicky sighed, leaning over the counter and looking at the empty cafe. The morning rush was over and the lunch rush wouldn’t start for another few hours. It was the dead part of the day. The part of the day that left him feeling restless and questioning, wondering why he was still here, working in this coffee shop and not doing something more with his life. He liked the job well enough, the hustle and bustle of it, but he couldn’t exactly call the work fulfilling. Still, something kept him there, anchored him to the job. 

“Nicky! Good morning!” 

His head snapped up as he saw Joe, smiling brightly through his thick beard as he made his way to the counter. 

_ Oh. Right. _ There was Nicky’s reason why. He’d promised himself he’d start job hunting once he asked the other man out. That had been nearly a year ago and he had yet to even get close. 

“The usual?” Nicky asked, straightening from where he’d been leaning on the counter. “Espresso and a croissant?” 

“What else?” The man asked, handing over his punch card and cash. “Where’s Andy?” 

He shrugged. “Last I saw she was arguing with the baker about the most recent baklava order. Said it didn’t have enough walnuts.”

“That poor soul.” Joe said, offering another wide smile. Even he knew better than to cross the owner of the cafe. He’d witnessed her throw out customers and scream at people for late orders. She was terrifying when she wanted to be- but also a good boss, able to take charge and hold people accountable. Nicky respected her for it.

“Can you sit with me?” Joe asked as Nicky slid him his drink, his hand curling on the small plate to better balance the cup. “Or do you need to clean?”

Nicky glanced around. Sure, the place could probably use some cleaning but it could wait. He grabbed his own drink and said, “I’ll sit.” 

The two made their way to one of the booths, easily falling into opposite sides. They’d done this so many times that it was second nature. Nicky always sat facing the door, ready to leap up if a customer appeared, Joe would slide off his messenger back and watch the back for any sign of Andy. Their own little routine, tucked neatly inside his other routines. 

“How’s work?” He asked, taking a drink of his latte. Joe may love to punish himself with pure espresso but Nicky preferred a gentler drink, lately that meant lattes with honey and cinnamon. 

Joe shrugged. “No one comes to museums on Wednesdays.” He was an art curator, working for the museum down the block. Sometimes he would show Nicky pictures of their next exhibit, always flipping through them and talking animatedly. Nicky loved it, mostly for how excited the other man was. He wasn’t into art the same way Joe was but he loved watching how excited Joe became when he spoke about it, how his eyes lit up and his voice took on a special lilt. 

“Just you and the paintings then.” Nicky offered, watching as Joe’s long fingers spun the plate. He wanted to reach out and grab them, to hold them to his lips and press kisses to the pads. He was so far gone for this man and he’d never even seen him outside this cafe. 

That was what a year of pining had done to him. When Joe had first come in the flirting had been easier because he hadn’t cared. He’d teased Joe about his order, pushing him to try things besides his espresso and croissant. Joe had flirted right back, going so far as to have Nicky take a sip of his drink then feed him the croissant. Nicky had though he was going to die as Joe’s fingers pressed to his lips, softly asking Nicky what he thought of the combination. 

But neither of them had made a move after that. Nicky could pretend that it was because Joe was a customer and he didn’t want to make it awkward for either of them but that wasn’t the full truth. Andy wouldn’t care if he dated someone from the shop. In fact, he suspected that she was sleeping with one of the delivery men- not that he would ever dare to ask. 

No, Nicky’s real reason was because he didn’t want to ruin this, what they had. It was better to see Joe like this, to lean in and flick crumbs out of that beard and rib him for drinking too much caffeine, than to ruin it with an actual date. Something in him was still worried that it was all in his head, that there was no way this gorgeous man could actually be interested in him. So he stayed where he was comfortable, in the realm of long glances and casual touches. 

(Even if he did spend many long nights thinking about how Joe’s lips would feel on his, how his hands would feel on Nicky’s skin.)

“Nicky?” Joe asked, breaking him out of his fantasy. “Did you hear me?”

Nicky fought back a blush, shaking his head. “No, sorry. I was thinking about the bread order.” 

Joe smirked at him. “Good to know where I stand.” 

“Continue, please.” 

“I was asking if you liked medieval art, specifically central European from the late 1400’s.” 

“I- I have no idea.” Nicky admitted, earning a chuckle from Joe. 

“Well that’s our next exhibit. It opens Friday but there’s a preshow for staff and patron tomorrow that I’m speaking at and-”

“Nicky!” His head whipped around as he saw Andy, wearing her signature all black outfit, stalking towards him. “Why the hell is there milk all over the walk in?”

“Shit,” He swore, standing up. “I must not have put the top on well enough and it got bumped.”

“Well there’s a day's worth of milk all over my floor.” She paused, seeing Joe. “Hello Joe.”

He tipped his head. “Andy.” 

“I’ll go clean it up.” Nicky said. 

“Yes, you will.” Andy turned and walked away. Nicky knew she wasn’t really mad at him, if she was she would have used far more words in a far less kind way. 

He turned to Joe and shrugged apologetically. 

“No use crying over spilt milk.” Joe said, smiling up at him.

“Hilarious.” Nicky gave him a small wave before disappearing into the back. By the time he finished cleaning Joe was gone and the lunch rush had started. He cursed the bad timing. 

The next day brought the same- a busy morning then a lull then Joe, who looked a little more rushed this time. 

“I can’t stay. There’s too much happening at work.” He explained as Nicky started to make his drink. 

“I’ll make you a double.” He offered, enjoying the grateful grin from Joe. 

“One of the shipments is late.” Joe explained as he worked. “It might not be here for the opening.”

Nicky grimaced. He knew how far out in advance Joe planned exhibits, something must have gone truly wrong for it to be this late. “What will you do?” 

Joe shrugged. “Besides pray? Start to rearrange things. It’s going to be a long day.” 

“Good luck.” Nicky said, handing him his drink in a to go cup.

“Thank you. Hopefully I’ll be back later. I want to finish our conversation from yesterday.” 

Nicky frowned as he left, trying to remember what they’d talked about. He knew it had been cut short but couldn’t remember the topic. Before he could think too much about it through the bread delivery came, keeping him busy for the rest of the morning. 

After the lunch rush he stepped around the counter to sweep and noticed a sketchbook lying on the floor. Nicky immediately knew who it belonged to by the deep blue cover and Joe’s beautiful penmanship. He must have dropped it in his rush. Nicky rarely saw Joe without it, though he’d never seen the contents. He grabbed it and ideally flipped through the first few pages. It was full of sketches of beautiful scenery, highly detailed trees and flowing rivers. He was in awe of the talent.

Then, about halfway through, the subject changed. First it was eyes and lips, all similar. Then- 

His face. Nicky’s face. Joe had been sketching him. A lot. Nicky paused to really look at the drawings, feeling something like butterflies erupt in his stomach. Joe had captured Nicky in a way he’d never seen himself, his eyes big and expressive, his mouth tilted into a smile. He had a whole page devoted to Nicky’s mole, something he’d always hated. 

Nicky continued to flip, seeing that there were more drawings of him. Him in his apron, making a drink, him laughing, him flipping Joe the bird. All pictures of him. 

It took Nicky a minute to realize that his heart was hammering in his chest. “ _ Oh _ .” He said quietly, holding the book tightly. These drawings, they weren’t casual sketches. They were done with love and devotion, showcasing him in with reverence. 

With a start Nicky finally remembered their conversation. Joe had been talking about the pre-show and asking if he was free. He was doing what Nicky had been too afraid to do- ask him on a date. 

The show was tonight. Nicky glanced at the time. He knew that the events started at six, after the museum closed. It was already three. 

“Andy!” Nicky called, searching for his boss. “Andy I need to leave early!”

“Why?” She asked, popping her head out of the office. “Is something wrong?”

“No it’s-” He hesitated, unsure how to explain it. “Joe asked me out. Kinda. I need to get ready for the date.”

She arched an eyebrow at his poor explanation but nodded. “Finally. You two kids have been dancing around each other for months.”

“We’re nearly the same age,” He mumbled.

“Only by the calendar, not by our souls. Now go, get the smell of coffee out of your hair.” He nodded, already pulling off his apron. 

“And Nicky?” She called and he spun back. “Don’t mess this up.” 

“Thanks boss.” He said, trying not to let his nerves overtake him. He hopped on his motorcycle and sped home, jumping in the shower and then looking for something to wear. Nothing he had seemed right for this- for the unlikely combination of showing up slightly uninvited and then, hopefully, for a first date. Eventually he settled for a dark blue shirt and black pants. It was the least wrinkled option. 

He called an uber to get him to the event, not wanting to ruin his clothes on his bike. When he arrived he saw people already filtering in, wearing evening dresses and suits. He was woefully underdressed.

“Help goes around back.” The bored looking security guard said as he approached. 

“I’m a guest.”

The man’s eyes flicked up at him. “Name?”

“Nicky di Genova. I’m here with Joe- Yusef-” He started before realizing there was no way he was on the list. Joe had no idea he’d figured out what he was asking. He was debating sneaking around to the server’s entrance when the man spoke. 

“Hm, okay. I see you.” The guard said to his shock. “Go on in.”

“I- thank you.” Nicky said, slipping in before the guard decided to double check. Inside was beautiful. Nicky had always loved the museum with its Roman columns and high ceilings and now it was even more amazing, set up with ancient weapons and huge suits of armor.

“Nicky?” Someone called and he turned, seeing Nile, one of Joe’s co-workers. She looked stunning in her sleek gray suit. 

“Hey! Yea, I’m here.” He said, waving lamely. 

“Joe finally grew some balls and asked you out huh?” She asked with a wide grin.

He fought a flush. “Something like that. Do you know where he is?” 

She pointed to a room in the back. “He’s trying to finish setting up before we let people in.” 

Nicky nodded gratefully, attempting to smooth the wrinkles out of his shirt as he walked. It wasn’t hard to find Joe. He just followed the string of curses. There he found the man, delicately arranging jewelry in a case. He looked stunning, his hair was slicked back and he was in a suit that fit him perfectly. Nicky stared for a moment before calling out. 

“Hi.” 

“I’ll be out-” Joe turned and the rest of his sentence fell away. “Nicky?”

“Surprise.” He said, stepping fully into the room. 

“You’re here.” The surprise in his voice was obvious.

“I was on the list.” Nicky said, desperately hoping he hadn’t misread things. “And I think it’s because you were going to ask me to come?” 

Joe nodded, moving closer as well. “I added you to the list weeks ago and I’ve been trying to ask you since. I kept chickening out.” 

“I understand that concept very well.” 

Joe’s eyes swept over him, taking in his outfit. Nicky did the same, allowing himself to look as much as he wanted. “You clean up well.” Joe commented, his voice slightly deeper. 

“So do you.” Nicky wanted to run his hands over the suit, to undo each of the ivory buttons and watch it fall away. If Joe’s eyes were any indication he was thinking the same. 

“I found your sketchbook.” Nicky added. “You’re very talented.”

Joe’s mouth fell into an ‘O’. “You looked through it then?” He nodded. “You found all the sketches I did of you?”

He nodded again, taking the final step to close the gap between them. “You know, I’d be happy to pose for you sometime. Maybe in something other than my dirty apron.”

Joe’s tongue darted out, wetting his bottom lip. “I’d enjoy that.” 

Nicky brought his hand to Joe’s face, fingers sinking into his beard like he’d dreamt of so many times. “Maybe even nude.” He added quietly. He’d thought of it when he saw the drawings, wondering how Joe would capture him without clothes and feeling a thrill at the idea of it. 

“Oh, I’d really enjoy that.” Joe said, his own hand slipping around Nicky’s waist and pulling him close. His hand kept Nicky steady, warm even through his clothes. Their eyes met and both moved in, their heads tilting as their lips pressed together. Nicky had to swallow a soft moan, Joe’s lips were even better than he’d imagined, soft and full against his own. 

Nicky had no idea how long they kissed for, time melted away. 

Until someone coughed behind them. The two broke apart and Nicky glanced over his shoulder to see Nile there, grinning. “I hate to interrupt but it’s time for your speech Joe.” 

Joe nodded, not stepping away. “I’ll be right there.” She nodded then stepped back, leaving the two of them alone again.

“I’d like to show you the exhibit after my speech.” Joe offered, his hand straightening Nicky’s lapel. 

“A private tour?” He asked, “I’d love that, especially with you as my guide.” 

“Excellent.” Joe leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll find you after. Don’t disappear on me.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Nicky promised, watching him go. He couldn’t wait for the rest of the night. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! New to the fandom but oh-so ready to fall in deep. I'd love some people to talk to about these amazing characters. My tumblr is [tinyarmedtrex](https://tinyarmedtrex.tumblr.com). I'd love prompts or new people to scream with!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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